Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that can be transmitted to humans, dogs, and other animals by certain species of ticks. It is caused by the spiral-shaped bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried inside a tick and gets into a dog or person’s bloodstream through a tick bite. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can travel to different parts of the body and cause problems in specific organs or locations, such as joints, as well as overall illness.
The signs of Lyme disease vary. Many animals can have Lyme disease and show no signs. In dogs, the most common signs include fever, loss of appetite, painful or swollen joints, lameness that comes and goes, swollen lymph nodes, and lethargy. If Lyme disease is left untreated it can lead to damage in the kidneys, nervous system, and heart.
Prompt diagnosis of dogs infected with B. burgdorferi plays an important role in treatment and prevention of the disease.
Rapid tests are most commonly used to diagnose Lyme disease in dogs for clinics. Bioguard VLabs 4X, a 4-in-1 rapid test kit, can simultaneously detect antibodies against B. burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. platys, Ehrlichia canis, and antigen of Dirofilaria immitis. The test requires neither special equipment nor training. The test can use specimen of serum, plasma or whole blood, and interpret test results within 5-10 minutes.
To know more about the Bioguard's VLabs 4X please click
